


Abrázame fuerte

by Teetaloo



Category: La Reina del Sur (TV), Queen of the South (TV)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Mutual Pining, Season 1 Spoilers, Season 3 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-10
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-06-08 06:02:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15236970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Teetaloo/pseuds/Teetaloo
Summary: James and Teresa have been seperated for months, neither one knowing if the other is dead or alive. Set late season 3 or season 4.





	1. The bar

 

Teresa walks slowly up the sidewalk, flanked by the men she had been forced to work with since being separated from James and Pote all those months ago. They had just finished wrapping up a deal that honestly, she wasn’t so sure was a good idea, but the men were in the mood for drinks, so to the bar they went. They didn’t trust her not to run away and she didn’t trust them not to cause trouble, so she had to go pretty much everywhere they did.

 

She can see the bar at the end of the block, the neon blues and reds looking inviting in the cold night. Even if her life and her business was in shambles, she could at least enjoy a beer and a few hours to sit down. She feels a sudden pang as she remembers late nights drinking with James and sometimes Pote after a deal. She sends a prayer out into the world that they’re alive and safe, like she does almost every day, but if they are, why hadn’t either of them found her by now? Maybe for the same reasons she hasn’t found them. As the guilt and loneliness builds up inside her, she thinks maybe she’ll need something harder than beer tonight.

 

As she walks through the door of the bar, Teresa tries to focus on anything but the people around her. The last thing she needs right now is to be reminded of how she’s surrounded by nothing but strangers and potential enemies. She stares at the neon lights above the counter. They remind her of a club in Malta, De la Peña’s club, where she and James had shared a drink before everything went to shit. She had felt so hopeful in that moment, and she had been happy to share her success with him. She should have known the universe wouldn’t let her rest in her contentment. The next thing she knew she was fighting for her life, barely escaping Malta with James, Pote, George, ten girls, a concussion and several bruised ribs. It felt like a whole other life. How had she lived so many lives before even turning thirty?

 

She sits down on the barstool, getting the bartender’s attention. “Two shots of tequila, please.”

 

As the bartender gets to work on her order, she chances a look around the bar. Large windows, TVs playing sports games on silent, several pool tables surrounded by men. She knew most of them were likely drug dealers and shady “businessmen,” but some looked friendlier than others. She knew better than to trust any one of them, though. The men she had come with tonight had started a game of pool in the corner, but didn’t seem to mind that she didn’t join them. They had realized weeks ago that it was easier to let Teresa keep to herself than try and get her to be social when she didn’t want to be. She had an obvious knack for getting in trouble, and that trouble usually extended to those around her. Sooner or later they’d come looking for her, though.

 

The bartender sets her drinks down and she smiles faintly at him, grabbing the first shot and taking it all at once. Immediately she feels warmer and more awake, though not much happier. Deciding to make the next shot last, she holds it in her hand as she swivels once more to survey the room.

 

Catching a sudden glimpse of black leather and messy brown hair in the crowd, Teresa has to close her eyes to stop herself from thinking of James. She doesn’t want to admit to herself how much she misses him; it would only make it hurt more. She takes a deep breath, reminding herself of how much it hurt when Guero left, when Brenda died. It had been excruciating, but she’d gotten through it. She would get through this too, and maybe one day she would see him again.

 

When she opens her eyes, he’s stopped ten feet away, staring at her. The expression on his face is unreadable, his fingers rubbing together lightly at his sides. Her breath catches in her chest - is she hallucinating? She wonders briefly if the bartender had put something in her drink and feels her eyes starting to water as she realizes that she’s been staring for too long. If this was a hallucination, it was a cruel one.

 

Teresa squeezes her eyes shut, feeling the sting of hot tears on her cheeks and trying to catch her breath. What the hell had made her feel like this? She needs to get her shit together before someone notices her acting so strangely.

 

She blinks a few times, looking down at her drink before daring to look up again. As she knew he would be, he’s gone. Why did her mind always go to James when she hallucinated? She thinks she probably knows why, actually, but doesn’t want to think about it too hard.

 

She turns back around, setting her drink down and folding her arms on the counter, resting her head lightly against them and closing her eyes.

 

“Whiskey, please. On the rocks.” A deep and raspy voice says, much too close to her. Her head snaps up so fast she’s surprised she doesn’t give herself a neckache. She knows that voice. James.

 

He’s there, again. Sitting on the barstool to her right, not two feet away from her. She thinks she might actually be dreaming.

 

He glances at her briefly, an apologetic but mild look on his face. “Sorry for startling you, miss.”

 

What?

 

He… what?

 

She can’t think of what to say to such a ridiculous statement. She must be dreaming, because nothing about this exchange is making any sense.

 

She says the only thing that comes to mind. “What the hell?”

 

His lips turn slightly up at that, but he still won’t look at her properly. She’s sure she’s been staring at him this whole time. What’s going on with him? She takes a closer look at his expression, studying his face and his eyes. She knows that look. He’s worried about something. A sudden thought makes her stomach drop - what if they’re being watched?

 

Most of the men in here are too drunk by now to notice two strangers having an odd encounter at the bar, but as she turns to face the counter again she catches something out of the corner of her left eye. One of the men she came with, Howard, is watching her subtly - not staring openly but looking up to observe her every few seconds. His head is tilted as if he’s trying to hear what’s going on. Teresa takes a deep breath as she reminds herself where she is.

 

“Sorry, that was rude. It’s alright,” she manages to say in a somewhat normal voice, trying to look more relaxed than she’s feeling. She can’t remember the last time she felt so many conflicting emotions.

 

“Can I buy you a drink to make it up to you?” he asks, almost looking at her, but not quite. Now that she’s paying attention, Teresa can tell how much he’s restraining his emotions. She can see in his eyes that he’s struggling just as much as she is not to break down. “Sure,” she says, more quietly than she’d meant to.

 

He turns to look at her now, and she’s instantly relieved when his eyes meet hers. He’s really there. She can smell the faint smell of cigarettes coming off his leather jacket, and she can see the concern in his eyes even as he plays it cool. Warmth floods into her body as she looks at him. Before either of them get the chance to speak again, his eyes move sharply over her shoulder. She can see the emotion on his face disappear as his eyes harden, and she turns once again to face the rest of the room. The man from before is heading their way, eyes fixed on her as he gets closer. Howard had been kinder to Teresa than many of the other men she’d had to work with the past few months, but that’s not saying much, and she doesn’t trust him in the least. She knows too, that he’s one of the most suspicious out of the lot.

 

She smiles weakly at him as he approaches, trying with all her might to appear emotionally stable. “Hey, what’s up?”

 

Howard grunts, not bothering to utter a proper greeting. “Who’s your new friend?” He eyes James, his expression not entirely threatening, but far from welcoming.

 

Teresa glances at James briefly, trying to imagine not knowing him. Not having been to hell and back with him. Trying to imagine him as merely a handsome stranger. It's almost impossible. “I don’t know, we only just met when he scared the shit out of me. I was resting my eyes.” She smiles, trying to pass it off as a joke.

 

“It was an accident!” She hears James protest behind her as she turns her attention back to Howard.

 

“Did you want something?” she asks him.

 

Howard grunts again, gesturing to the pool table where the rest of their group had assembled with some other men. “Come play pool with us. Having a girl around distracts the other players. I’m trying to make some money.”

 

Lovely. So he wants her to use her body to help them win their bets. How did she once again end up working with such disgusting men? Maybe she had been spoiled by James and Pote, and this was just what most of them were like.

 

She wants more than anything to stay with James - even when he's acting like he doesn’t know her, he makes her feel more safe than she’s felt in months.But these men are not like James and Pote, and when they ask her to do something, it isn’t really a request, but a demand. She can’t deny them a game of pool without throwing more suspicion on James, and right now she wants them to be thinking of anything but him. She’s already gotten him in enough trouble over the years.

 

So she shrugs, finishes off her second tequila and stands, turning to face James as casually as she can. “Sorry,” she says, meeting his eyes. “Maybe next time.” But her eyes are trying to communicate what she really means. _Please don’t disappear again. I’m so happy to see you. How will I find you?_

 

“That’s okay. Have a good night.” His body language is casual as he shakes his head, but the intensity in his eyes says _Don’t worry, I’ll find you. I promise._

 

She looks at him just a second too long, trying to memorize every detail of his face in case she doesn’t get to see it again. Then she turns to follow Howard to the pool table, not daring to look back.


	2. The alley

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James tries to think of a plan to help Teresa

James takes a large sip of his whiskey, trying to steady the pounding of his heart as he watches Teresa walk away from him. He can’t believe she’s really here, after all this time. He’s wanted to find her so badly, but his enemies have been watching him closely ever since losing her all those months ago. He couldn’t risk calling her or tracking her without them finding her too, and he would never knowingly put her in such danger. But he could see plainly the sadness and disbelief in her eyes when she’d seen him. She’d turned away, as if it hurt to look at him, as if she’d seen a ghost. He knew what she was thinking only because he had been thinking it too. She thought he had died, or at least been seriously injured or trapped. James had once told Guero that he’d never hurt Teresa the way he had, but maybe that’s exactly what he’s done. He didn’t have the same history with her as Guero did, but he knew she felt something for him, and their relationship had been growing intensely at the time of the attack.

 

His heart feels heavy as he reflects upon everything he knows she’s gone through. He’s got to find a way of getting her out of whatever mess she’s surely in. He’s very familiar with the sort of men like the ones she’s with now. They’ll manipulate her and use her until they get bored, and then they’ll try to get rid of her. Even though he trusts her instincts and her strength to keep her alive, he can’t tame the fierce urge that rises in him to protect her.

 

He pretends to read the drink menu on the chalkboard behind the bar, but keeps her in his sights in the corner of his eye. After a few minutes spent trying to formulate a plan, he sees her lean in to tell something to one of the guys she’s playing pool with. She gestures over her shoulder and begins to move towards the back of the room, where the restrooms are. She never once looks back at James, but the way she walks slowly and deliberately tells him she knows he’s watching her. She knows him too well, and he can’t help but smile a little to himself. He’s missed her so much.

 

Finishing his drink and dropping a twenty on the bar, he tries to think of the smartest plan of action. He can’t follow her to the bathrooms, someone would notice. The men she’s with might not be suspicious now, but if that one who’d talked to them earlier saw James with Teresa again, he’d surely tell the others that something was up.

 

If he knows Teresa, and he does, she’s probably trying to make a run for it. He’d bet good money she’s finding a fire exit right about now, or climbing out a window. He makes sure the men at her table aren’t paying attention to him as he slips the cigarette pack from his pocket and steps out into the biting cold.

 

James stands under the neon sign of the bar and leans against the brick wall as he lights a cig. He’s been chain smoking like crazy the past few months, but he can’t remember the last time he needed a cigarette this badly. Seeing Teresa again, only to have her whisked away from him once more.. It was all too much. The urge to protect her that he had felt since the first time they met had only grown more intense when coupled with the guilt he felt at letting her slip away. Now that she was so close, he knew he had to act before something came betweeen them once again.

 

He paces casually outside as he smokes, not wanting to rush off in case someone was watching him. Chancing a look through the glass he can see the same man from before watching him curiously, but he doesn’t look alarmed. James waits until he looks away to move farther down the sidewalk, towards the back of the building.

 

At the end of the sidewalk lies a very dark alleyway, and James approaches with caution. If Teresa was going to come out anywhere, it would be here. But the only light comes from a dirty window further down the alley, and he can’t make out any distinct shapes in the dark. If an enemy was waiting for him anywhere, it would be here, too. He finishes off his cigarette and drops it to the ground, squishing it with the toe of his boot. His right arm reaches behind him to take hold of his gun where it rests at his lower back, and he steps into the dark.

 

Not wanting to call for her in case anyone else is listening, he takes a few steps blindly into the alley. Suddenly he hears a clatter, as something is knocked over several feet away. James quickly draws his gun, pointing it towards the sound as his eyes adjust to the dark.

 

“James? James! It’s me, I’m here.” As soon as he hears her voice, he lowers his gun. He can hear how hard she’s trying to keep her voice steady. She must be taking a big risk, running from those men.

 

“Teresa.” Her name falls from his lips so naturally, as if this isn’t the first time he’s said her name in months. “Oh, god. Teresa, are you okay? What..” He can’t think of what to say to her. He has so many questions, but all he wants to do right now is take her in his arms and hold her until neither of them feels scared any more. He reaches out, “Where are you?”

 

“Here.”

 

Suddenly he feels her hand press against his arm, and he grabs hold of it while his other hand replaces his gun at the back of his jeans. He can barely see her, but knowing where she is helps his mind make up the rest. He brings his right hand to find her other arm, following it up to her shoulder and finally to her face. He runs his thumb over her cheekbone, relishing the feeling of her smooth skin against his rough fingers. How can she be so soft and so tough at the same time? He feels her hair fall over his hand and he reaches to push it behind her ear. He can just barely see her eyes glisten at him in the dark and wonders if she’s feeling as lost for words as he is.

 

James hears her take a deep breath as she reaches out to find his chest. Only once she feels his heart beating, sure and steady beneath her hand, does she let out the tension she’s holding in her breath and her body. All at once she presses into him, both of her hands snaking under his jacket and around his torso to meet behind his back. Her face is buried in his chest, as if she’s trying to breathe him in. He can’t tell if his own restricted breathing is from emotion or the force with which she’s holding him. Without the use of his eyes, his other senses are heightened, and the feeling of her body pressed against him threatens to overwhelm him. Letting out a big breath of his own, he wraps his arms around her, trying with all his might to make her feel safe. He leans his head down, allowing his nose and mouth to press gently into the top of her head. He never thought he would get to hold her like this again.

 

They stand like that for what feels to each of them to be an eternity, their bodies pressed as close together as possible. James can feel a few hot tears leak through his shirt, and he rubs slow circles on her lower back where his hand has come to rest between her shirt and her jacket. Her body feels warm against him, but she must be freezing; nothing she’s wearing is thick enough to keep out this cold. He pulls her towards him even closer, trying to share the warmth of his jacket.

 

Eventually, he feels her grip on him lessen ever so slightly, and he leans back to look at her.

 

She takes a deep breath once more and lifts her head to meet his eyes in the dark. He still can’t make out her expression, but her face is so close, and he knows it so well, that his mind tricks him into thinking he can see her better than he really can. Neither of them have removed their arms from around each other, and James can feel her breath on his face as she speaks.

 

“What should we do?” Teresa asks gently.

 

The reality of the situation comes flooding back to him as he remembers that they’re still surrounded by enemies. “Those men must be noticing by now that you’ve been gone a long time. We need to get out of here before they come looking. Unless you want to go back..?” He trails off, unsure of the details of her new life. Maybe she isn’t trying to escape.

 

But Teresa quickly shakes her head. “No, definitely not. We should leave, they’ll kill you if they find us out here.” He can sense her panic creeping back in and moves quickly to reassure her, bringing a hand gently to her face. “I’d like to see them try.”

 

“I wouldn’t,” she replies, but he thinks he can see her lips raise in a faint smile.

 

“Then let’s go.” He feels the sting of the winter air as they untangle their bodies, but before he can bemoan the lack of contact, he feels her reach down to take his hand. Together, they walk blindly into the night.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!! This is my first Jeresa fic, and first fic ever, so please be kind :) Any kudos or comments are appreciated!  
> Come yell about Queen of the South with me on tumblr <3
> 
> teetaloo.tumblr.com  
> teresa-moyocoyotzin.tumblr.com


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